The Never Ending Tale
by The Symbol of Faith
Summary: Ever heard of the never ending tale? This is it! A story that keeps changing its plot, keeps moving onward with no fixed end in sight – a flowing fable that never stops…Care to be a part of this mystical world? All you need is a creative mind, enthusiasm and passion to write! Readers…What awaits you is a surprise! (Chapter 5: A Familiar Stranger)(Chapter 6: Deeper Into The Pitfall)
1. Introduction

Introduction

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Hey, fellow authors!

Has anyone ever played the linked-story writing game?

It has a few simple rules, and very easy to do so!

All it will take is a little enthusiasm, interest and passion to write!

First, one author begins with a story, writing only ONE chapter (usually with a word limit, say 1000 words for this work) and not any more or less.

Then, ANY other author can take it up and continue the story.

All the next writer has to do is read the previous chapter, think how the story would progress from _their own point of view_ and write a new chapter continuing it!

The next writer will do the same, reading the previous chapter and thinking of how they would like the story to progress and then write.

One must always remember the word limit, of course! (1000 words. A little more or less is fine, but not too much or too little)

And always, **always** write in a manner that it seems as if you are continuing from the previous chapter, not starting your own little drabbles. You may change the flow of the plot within your chapter, but make sure you do not contradict the previous authors' work!

 _Authors can write more than one chapter, but never consecutively_ (That is, not one after the other, like Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 can't be written by the same person. But Chapter 2 and Chapter 4 can)

And never write a chapter with an intention of ending the story then and there; the point of this is to continue for as long as possible and create a vivid work of art and an ever changing plot that twists and turns, spiralling it into a beautiful fiction!

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Hoping people will want to participate in this; I would like to propose an idea.

Now, to make everything a smooth sailing, I will write the first chapter for this story.

Writers interested will PM me with their written work (1000 words is well within the limit of a PM) – I will not judge any of it, simply accept all that you've written and publish it word for word! (Only checking the chapter for human errors, but that is all!)

To make sure that only **one** person writes for a particular chapter, leave a **review** that you will be doing so.

So if **two** people wish to write Chapter 2, the one who **first** posts a review will be the one to write it. So, do please check the review section to make sure no one else has taken a chapter to write.

That said, if after reviewing, the author hasn't sent their work to me within TWO weeks, others are welcome to try!

For this project/experiment to work, I will need the co-operation and participation of ALL authors reading this.

THINK! You could be a part of this one _huge_ group project, uniting various thought processes, writing styles and the genuine passion for writing to create a great story!

A story that no one knows the ending of!

 **Ever heard of the never ending tale? This is it!**

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Also, I request that no crossovers are to be written. Not all writers may be aware of the world you introduce in your chapter, hence will be unable to continue the story. Please stick to the Detective Conan and Maigic Kaito fandom - those two are interlinked anyway!

All writers are welcome – only one condition: Write in English.

English is the most commonly read language in most archives, including this one. So, all those lovely writers who prefer to write in a different language (Korean, Indonesian, French, etc.), I deeply apologise.

In the end, I have no idea how this will be received or if I will even get a response to it, but I urge you to think – what will be the cost of writing one chapter (Mere 1000 words)? Very little effort! And what will be its result? The pleasure of reading your work that many, many readers will receive!

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Acknowledgments: I would like to say thanks to my school teachers who introduced this concept to me and my friends and we all had blast at it!

We'd combined Snow White, Red Riding-hood and a bunch of our original ideas to make a really thrilling and hilarious tale!

Lastly, for me to post this on FF-net, I'd like to thank the following authors for giving me inspiration and courage in the hopes that it would be well received and that my fellow authors will be willing to give it a try: Taliya, Stelra Etnae and neonquincy1217 (for Blackout – wonderful collaboration guys!)

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 **NOTE:** Rating, Genres, Characters may change as in accordance to the most current chapter.


	2. Women In Black

**AN: Okay, as I've already mentioned in the introduction, here is the first chapter.**

 **I have no idea myself where this story is going - _because,_ I'm not the one going to be writing the next chapter! I will be one of the readers while another interested author will decide to write a follow up for it.**

 **This chapter is of 1150 words - slightly more than 1000 words, but not too much. I would like the other writers to maintain this word limit too.**

 **So, any one interested to write the next chapter will leave a review - this is a MUST!**

 **If there is already a reviewer who wishes to write a continuation, the others will have to wait for their turn.**

 **As I already said, you have TWO weeks to write your chapter - an easy feat for only 1000 words!**

 **.**

 **That said, here is Chapter 1! Do let me know how you liked it!**

 **Enjoy~**

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"Dialogues"

 _'Thoughts'_

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Chapter 1: Women In Black (By The Symbol of Faith)

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Conan knew better than to follow strangers.

Especially strangers dressed in black and acted suspicious.

Never mind that Haibara was perfectly sure that none of those two women wearing black did not have the typical 'scent' the Black Organisation had. According to her, they were perfectly normal females who decided to take a fancy to black and don it from head to toe.

Then, why did he decide to follow them?

For one, they were not in mourning to be decked in all black, Conan was enough of a detective to realise that. For two, they were not doing anything suspicious, yet they sent off warning bells in Conan's mind. Not a dangerous, murderous kind of warning…simply something that told him that things were not what they seemed to be.

So, naturally, curiosity peaked, the shrunken detective had to follow them.

Haibara wanted to have nothing to do with it, "I have a Big Osaka game waiting for me back home. So, any sleuthing you want to do, you're on your own."

Conan tailed the two women expertly, following them through the city till they reached a crowded shopping area. Tracking them became slightly hard after that. But one did not become a 'Meitantei' by giving up, so he persevered.

It was soon enough that they entered a strange looking alley, filled with old antique shops, a couple of thrift stores, an old and musty looking book shop and various other stalls that seemed to sell everything and nothing. Never had Conan seen such an assortment of knick-knacks before!

 _'_ _What are they doing here?'_ Conan wondered, even as he ducked around an old woman haggling for the price of a feather duster.

The two black-clad women finally entered a shop at the far end of the winding alley. Coming to stop in front of it, Conan gazed up at the peeling paint over the door. It spelled 'Apothecary'.

"What?" Conan muttered in slight surprise, "Why such an odd, old name? An 'Apothecary'? Why not a simple 'Chemist' or 'General Store' or even 'Medical Store'?"

Peering through the dusty glass panes fitted into the wooden doorway, Conan could make out a simple counter with an old fashioned cash box on it. Squinting a bit more, he tried to see where the women were. But alas, the store was empty of both, shopkeeper and customers.

Nothing to do now but follow them in, Conan pushed open the door, cringing slightly when a tiny bell overhead tinkled lightly. Still, the chime of the bell was not very loud and when after staying still for a whole minute, the shopkeeper made no appearance, the detective relaxed.

Pursuing through the contents displayed on shelves, Conan let out a slight disbelieving sound, "What _is_ this shop?"

For none of what was being sold could be considered as ordinary.

Peppermint leaves, Aloe vera shoots, stalks of sage, Ivy berries, leaves of belladonna, embalmed snakes, pickled lizards, sandalwood, pickled bitter gourd, stalks of celery and neem leaves to name a few, were all labled and showcased in glass jars. Roots, barks, leaves and fruits of plants that Conan couldn't recognise on sight and more embalmed venomous animals and insects were neatly shelved.

On the counter, Conan could see a previously hidden set of scales and weights that were presumably meant to measure the goods customers bought. Over by another wall, he could also make out plenty of bottled salves and balms whose recipes were undoubtedly a secret to all but the maker.

What struck him as odd was the level of authenticity everything had. Conan felt as if he'd somehow stepped into the past where modern medicine and developments in health care had not yet been made. All the commodities were _genuine_ , yet seemed decades old.

Many families in Japan still used 'home-made' cures for illnesses, yet this was the first _shop_ he'd entered that made a business out of selling such products.

"Let's think about this later," Conan murmured, eyes darting towards a door situated at the very back of the room, far away from the entrance to be completely overlooked by any patrons.

Creeping towards it, Conan took hold of the handle before giving it a light tug. The door was just as old fashioned as the rest of the shop – wooden with a brass handle and a large key hole. Yet, the hinges were well-oiled and made no noise as it swung open to reveal a long hall-way. He could make out three more doors leading off from it – one at the end of the hall-way and two to each side.

Moving forward silently – his years of sleuthing giving him enough experience that he knew how to walk without making the slightest bit of noise – Conan peered under the first door.

There was no light coming from the gap between wood and stone floor or any noise from within and Conan moved forward. The second door proved to be just as disappointing.

Sure that the last door, the one at the end of the hall-way, was where his mysterious black women and (possible) shopkeeper had disappeared through, Conan crept forwards with extra care. A tingle of excitement, anxiety and thrill raced down his spine.

While the no light poured out from under this door way, there was a strange sort of illumination that seemed to be flickering.

 _'_ _Orange and yellow,'_ Conan narrowed his eyes, _'A fire-place, perhaps? A fire definitely…that is what is causing this coloured glow. I should have expected this of course, such an old fashioned method to produce light would only be present in such an old fashioned shop,'_

Pressing his ear against the door frame, Conan could make out voices from within. While the thick wood prevented him from hearing any actual words, he could make out an inquisitive tone and an excited response. A gruff voice followed after an impatient mutter. Pacing of footsteps…more than two sets of footsteps.

 _'_ _I was right,'_ Conan smirked, _'there is at least one other person with those women. I wonder what they're doing...especially in such a strange place. Everything here makes very little sense!'_

Even as the detective thought that, the footsteps neared the door. Conan froze – What to do?

He could make a run for it and leave the shop with none being any wiser, but that would make him lose any opportunity he had to figure out the mystery behind this shop or those women.

Or, he could slip into one of the other rooms and hope no one entered it and found him. Later, he could slip back out to explore the other rooms – especially the one he was eavesdropping into.

As the thoughts passed through his mind in a lightning fast pace, the footsteps continued to move closer.

Conan bit his lip in hesitation, but there was no more time to dither – and he made his choice…

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 **AN: Here is the first chapter! Do let me know what you guys think of it...and this idea of mine. Any interested authors, please leave a review!**


	3. Cupboards And Bottles

**AN: Very happy to see that a few authors have begun participating and hoping that others will do so too!**

 **Please leave a review at the end to let the author know how you liked their chapter!**

 **Enjoy~**

 **.**

A/N: Zookie here! Well, that was fun. Lets see where the next author takes this, shall we? I'm honestly quite excited to see what happens with the cliff hanger I left.

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"Dialogues"

 _'Thoughts'_

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Chapter 2: Cupboards And Bottles (By Disconsolate Mist )

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Conan huddled in a cupboard in one of the dark rooms.

It was the first room he had peered into earlier. The room was surprisingly empty, just a few herbs and strange animal parts in jars stacked in cupboards and laying in drawers. There had been a few kitchen knives and some other cooking tools lying around in various places and on counter tops, but that had been about it.

The whole room had been painted a dark black, along with the walls, cupboards and counters. Even the floor was made from black marble tiles. It gave the whole room a dark aura, though that may have been so even without the black paint...

Conan had decided to hide in one of the empty cupboards, just to be safe. He was guessing they used this room for preparation of sales items, so there was no telling when someone might decide to barge in. It was best that he was out of immediate view if such a thing did indeed happen.

He had quickly dived into this room, not exactly thinking about which room might be the best to hide in. Oh well, this one would have to make do for now.

It had been but ten minutes when someone actually did enter the room Conan was hiding in. He heard them close the door behind them and their footsteps approach the cupboard he was in. The Lilliputian detective stiffened, holding his breath and not daring to make a sound.

He let it out in a quiet hiss as the steps drew away from where he crouched silently. They suddenly stopped after he made the noise, and for a moment, he was afraid the person had heard his quiet breath. A few seconds later, though, the footsteps continued. Then they stopped once again and he heard a cupboard open. It creaked slightly as its door swung open and he heard the person shuffling around in it. After a few moments, there was a small exclamation 'Aha!' and the cupboard closed.

Then a grating noise signalled the sound of a drawer being pulled open and Conan desperately wished he could see. It was better than going off his auditory senses – that was for sure. He couldn't even tell what the person was trying to do, though he did have a few guesses.

The sound of chopping with a knife was what he heard next. After about a minute, it stopped and there was a satisfied huff.

"There we are. That should be good, yes?" A gentle woman's voice sang, "It is exactly what he ordered, after all. I do hope he uses it wisely..." The woman trailed off and he heard something of a thoughtful hum.

Steps sounded again, this time going away from him and towards the door. The door made a small screech as it swung open.

There was a pause, then, "Little sparrow, I do recommend leaving. I reckon it's not very comfortable in there," Her voice was quiet, and it just barely reached Conan's ears.

Conan shivered when the door banged shut after that. So she had known he was here... Why hadn't she come over to get him out of the cupboard and reprimand him?

Questions circled in his head, and he could no longer stay in the cupboard alone with his swirling thoughts. He needed to get out of this tiny space. They already knew where he was anyways.

He pushed the cupboard door open. The room was lighter than it had been before, as the electric light on the ceiling had been turned on.

Wait, if he remembered correctly, they had used something involving fire in that other room. Yet, they used _electric light_ here?

It might be that that the electric lights in that room were out, but somehow he doubted it...

Conan sighed, shaking his head. He had somehow, once again, tripped over yet another mystery. This time it seemed immensely surreal, too. Of course, he had encountered magical seeming mysteries before, but this... This somehow felt different.

He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but he knew that there was something incredibly off about this. Well, there had to be an explanation. There was even a scientific explanation for shrinking, so there had to be one for this… If there was indeed some magical mumbo-jumbo mystery going on here.

So far, it was only a feeling after all.

That was when he saw it. Out of the corner of his eye, Conan noticed a bottle that he was sure hadn't been there before.

It was a small, glass bottle with a cork plugging it. Inside swam an almost luminescent, purple substance that seemed to move on its own. He had never seen anything quite like it before.

Conan walked over to it, narrowing his eyes as he drew close. Along with its luminescent property, it was also translucent. He peered closely into the bottle, trying to figure out what it was and came up with a blank. There was nothing he knew of that fit its description. It must be a strange combination of chemicals he did not know of – that was all it could be.

The diminutive detective lifted the bottle, holding it carefully between his pointer finger and his thumb. He examined the liquid's movement and how it reacted when he turned the bottle over. For the most part, it acted like water would – fluidly. When he turned it over, though, it moved like honey – viscously and slowly, dripping down the edges of the glass bottle.

Interesting.

Okay, then, time for satisfying some scientific curiosity.

Conan carefully pulled the cork out, peering inside the bottle. The purple liquid didn't react to this in any way, staying almost perfectly still. Conan blinked a few times, then lifted a hand to waft whatever scent it might have towards him. It smelled like a strange combination of lavender and dead animal. Like a skunk that had been run over. It was not pleasant in the least.

That was when something happened.

Something very, very strange…

Strange… because he somehow tripped when he hadn't even been moving, falling backward. Time seemed to slow, and he could merely watch as the strange liquid spilled out of the bottle and onto him, somehow managing to soak his hair and upper shirt fairly thoroughly.

He kept falling, feeling something strange as he did.

It was like the burning sensation that he felt when he was shrinking (Or growing, for that matter), yet there was something different about it.

Something almost like… squirming of worms in his blood. That was how he could best describe it as, anyway.

He got no further in his analysis of the feeling, as suddenly his head hit the marble floor with a loud bang, and the world went quickly black.

Maybe he should have just done as Haibara had and ignored those women.

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 **AN: Thanks for reading!**

 _Leave a review if you want to write the next chapter!_

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 **To Rockster - Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, interesting concept? We literally did this in school one day! For half an hour, I never think all 50 students have been so dedicated and silent (Which I think was our teacher's main goal :P) but we had great fun and some of the stories were so hilarious, beginning with suspense, going in to mystery, then humor and suddenly into Shakespeare-esque poetry and then into adventure! Oh, what a fascinating journey we spun in that half hour! And yes, first chapter by yours truly *bows dramatically*. I did leave plenty of ways for the story to take a turn, letting the next author's imagination run wild - and it does sound like a place Akako would frequent :P And I loved writing that cliffhanger *Cackles evilly and grins *. Thanks for your wishes. I hope you continue reading and receiving enjoyment out of this story - this Never Ending Tale! :)**

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 **A** **ll of you silent readers out there - I hope you are liking this story. If you are (and if not) do please let us know by reviewing! It does not take much time and highly encourages the writers!**

 **Please help us in writing this linked-story by adding in your inputs, thoughts and lastly volunteering to write a chapter!  
**

 **So...**

 **REVIEW!**


	4. Veiled Effect

**AN: Chapter 3 here! Thanks for participating guys! Great work!**

 **Those who wish to write the next chapter, do leave a review!**

 **Also, please leave a review at the end to let the author know that you liked their chapter!**

 **Enjoy~**

 **.**

A/N: That was fun! I really let my imagination run wild back there. Thanks for reading and I hope the other authors silently reading this will contribute as well. It's a really interesting idea, and I'd love to see what the next author will think up next. (TheDarkKunoichi)

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"Dialogues"

 _'Thoughts'_

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Chapter 3: Veiled Effect (By TheDarkKunoichi)

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Haibara's head shot up in surprise just as Big Osaka scored a goal on television; the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd almost drowning out her pounding heartbeat. While she would normally smile excitedly whenever they scored, this time she barely even noticed it as she remained focused on inspecting this sudden bad feeling.

To her confusion, it doesn't seem like the feeling she gets whenever a member of the Organization is near. It's just a bad feeling from her gut, and she's learned not to ignore her gut feelings after they've saved her life multiple times now. But it still doesn't answer the question of what it is.

Haibara resolved to investigate it immediately, provided that she finishes watching the game first.

It couldn't be that important, right?

...

Meanwhile, completely on the other side of town, a certain child detective groggily opened his eyes before promptly vomiting on the floor; his pounding head feeling like it had been on the receiving end of both, Ran's powerful kicks and his own super-powered soccer balls.

Conan's nails began scratching the hard marble underneath his fingers almost desperately as he began throwing up what felt like worms wriggling their way out of his dry throat. To his shock, it wasn't half-digested food that came out; it was blood.

He silently stared at the spots of red now tainting the polished marble floor, feeling the remainder trickling out of the corner of his mouth and onto his chin. His gaze then turned to the shattered bottle lying right next to him; its previous contents, he now noticed, were all over his clothes and hair. Suddenly, the events of what happened in the last few hours came back to him and his head immediately whipped around to stare at the door.

To his surprise, there was no one there.

"Strange…" He frowned thoughtfully.

Shouldn't his collapse and the shattering of the glass bottle alert the people here that there's an intruder? They should all be in here by now, ready to kick him out or even detain him, whichever was likely. Instead, it seemed as if he'd been left unconscious here, soaked from the odd purple substance for at least twenty minutes now.

Perhaps the woman earlier had something to do with it?

In any case, he had been extremely lucky not to have been caught. However, there's no guarantee that he'll be given a second chance at this.

 _'But first…'_ He turned to stare at the shattered remains of the bottle still lying on the floor, ' _what was that thing?!'_

Thinking back, he felt almost tempted to hit himself for being so stupid earlier. What had gotten into him that he suddenly began sniffing the contents of a very questionable substance he just found lying around? For all he knew, it could be another very dangerous drug, and he has had enough of those for a whole lifetime, thank you very much. He should've left it alone and gone on his merry way. Instead, his curiosity almost got him killed, _again_.

"But it didn't." He suddenly realized. "However, while it didn't kill me, then what did it do?"

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Conan quickly began scanning his body for any signs of disfigurement. Maybe even another shrinking? But there was nothing different that he could see, and that in itself is alarming. Especially since the first thing he did when he woke up was vomit out blood. Even now, he still felt terribly nauseous and dizzy, like he might hurl at any moment. Only sheer willpower kept him from vomiting again all over the floor and causing a lot more noise than the first time.

Forcing himself to his knees, he gripped at the table top carefully, as another wave of nausea passed before attempting to sit up again. This strange feeling and the contents of the bottle on the floor reminded him of one of those games Mitsuhiko and the others played; a game called 'Minecraft' or something along those lines.

There were a variety of potions used in the game that had a lot of effects on the player. One of those, if he remembered correctly, was a purple potion that induces nausea; something that seems eerily similar to his predicament right now. It seemed laughable to think that these 'creepy' people in black working in some old-fashioned drug store are creating potions ripped off of a children's video game, but he'd seen weirder things.

Looking around, Conan noticed that other than the purple potion, there were other multi-coloured bottles, innocently sitting on the shelves above him. Those probably had even stranger and impossible effects, but he's not even willing to consider investigating them this time. He's not that stupid.

Hauling himself up one last time with only a brief throbbing in his head as a reward, Conan finally decided that it was safe to move. Quickly finding a rag on one of the table-tops, he wiped up the blood and the spilled contents before carefully picking up the shards of the bottle. No use leaving evidence when he's trying to remain hidden after all.

Finally done, he began making slow progress towards the door. While he would want nothing more than to investigate this whole place further just to satisfy his curiosity, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something even worse was going to happen the longer he stayed here.

"Maybe this is a sign that I should listen to Haibara more." He grumbled to himself, his head and throat throbbing painfully, a sore reminder of what happened earlier. "Then again, she would be insufferable for days if I admit that, so I guess I probably shouldn't, after all."

Still, it wouldn't hurt to try and contact her. Maybe even have her bring him medicine for his terrible headache and sore throat. However, one look at his phone changed his mind.

No signal. Not even a line. Which was both confusing and annoying since he never went underground or did anything to lose signal. His situation just kept getting weirder and weirder.

After walking for several minutes while simultaneously trying not to hurl; Conan finally reached his destination and began reaching for the brass handle of the wooden door, before abruptly stopping as he noticed something. The purple substance on his clothes was beginning to disappear a little, along with his pounding headache, much to his relief. Perhaps its effects wore out once it started evaporating? Not a solid theory, but it was good enough nonetheless.

However, he didn't even get the chance to turn the knob again before the door was pushed open. And in the doorway stood a large man dressed in black, with what seemed like a permanent scowl engraved onto his stony face. He must be the source of the gruff voice he heard earlier. Conan tensed, but quickly relaxed when it seemed as if man hadn't seen him yet. Perhaps because he was too small? In any case, he would soon.

Quickly, silently, the shrunken detective decided to make his move; now his only goal was to flee and flee undetected…

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 **AN: Thanks for reading!  
**

 **Thanks Kunoichi! Great work!  
**

 **Readers, do let us know how you're liking it so far!**

 _Leave a review if you want to write the next chapter!_

 **.**

(Previously Gadzooksthedragon11) Disconsolate Mist's replies to guest reviewers -

To Rockster: A skunk that's been run over smells heavily like skunk spray. For weeks. Its really bad, and really strong. There was one that got run over outside our house, and it didn't move for over two weeks. I am very happy with that cliffhanger, as it does leave so much open for interpretation, and I honestly don't know how the other authors will go from there.

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 **A** **ll of you silent readers out there - I hope you are liking this story. If you are (and if not) do please let us know by reviewing! It does not take much time and highly encourages the writers!**

 **Please help us in writing this linked-story by adding in your inputs, thoughts and lastly volunteering to write a chapter!  
**

 **So...**

 **REVIEW!**


	5. Red Magic, Black Magic

**AN: Hello! I'm so happy to have gained a few more participants! Please, please consider joining in!**

 **Those who wish to write the next chapter, do leave a review!**

 **Also, please leave a review at the end to let the author know that you liked their chapter!**

 **Enjoy~**

 **.**

A/N: Hello! Mystic here - the writer among the dynamic duo of "MysticCritic". Since I've got no ideas recently, I'm here, trying out this collaboration fic :D Very happy to have joined in, really! This was a lot of fun!

And oh - I'm taking prompts, any and all kind of prompts related to the DC/MK fandom, so if you want me to write something, let me know! A PM would do, and if you don't have an account - leave a review here! Faith has been quite accommmodating towards that, so take advantage of it! :P

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"Dialogues"

 _'Thoughts'_

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Chapter 4: Red Magic, Black Magic (By MysticCritic)

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Conan waited for the inevitable to happen.

And waited.

But for some reason, the man never noticed him. Never saw him. Not bothering to wonder _why_ , he quickly made his escape – staying here for any longer was madness.

Through the alley and past the loitering customers, pushing past towering adults and lanky legs, Conan panted as he reached the main city. The general hubbub was strangely soothing and Conan leaned against a wall in relief.

"And then it was a torrent of – ouch! Sorry – huh?" The young teen who'd bumped into Conan, looked about, wondering where his obstacle was.

Conan watched with detached horror as the teen and his friend disappeared around the corner, looking at straight at him but not seeing him.

"What…?" Conan choked on air, "What's going _on_? I'm – I'm _invisible_?!"

Apparently, not only invisible, Conan realised upon further experimentation, but inaudible too. He'd run and jumped in front of an ice-cream peddler, waved himself silly inside a barber's shop while singing 'Ring around the roses', run circles around a passing postman shouting 'Aliens ahoy!' …and…nothing. None of them ever took notice. Conan would have thought he was dead if the steady pulse under his skin hadn't reassured him.

With muted horror, Conan found himself sitting down at a park bench nearly half an hour later. His shirt was still a bit wet from the potion – potion? Strangely coloured liquid? Purple concoction? _Potion_ , okay, that seemed best for now – but Conan didn't care. What did it matter if that disgusting brew still clung onto him? He was invisible, inaudible and miserable. Even in all his genius estimations, he didn't know what to do now.

Should he go back home? To Haibara? Let her know what had happened to him? He could still touch things after all, and could write it down for her. And the effects were sure to wear off after a while…weren't they? But the mere thought of putting such an inconceivable happenstance down in words was…it would be disconcerting and unbelievable to say the least.

Just when he'd thought of getting up, someone sat down next to him. A pretty – no, _gorgeous_ – young woman, with dark reddish-black hair, a lavender shaded eyes and the fairest complexion he had ever seen. She was a goddess reincarnated – wait! What?

Conan blinked. True, she was beautiful (More beautiful than he'd ever seen a female to be) but she had nothing on Ran. Ran, no matter how she paled in comparison to the teen's appearance, was far more sweet, kind, warm and homely than this girl's cold exterior. Conan shook his head, what kind of day dream had he fallen into again?

"I must say, it is a surprise to run into one of you, here." The girl spoke, looking straight ahead at particularly nothing.

 _'Great._ ' Conan sighed, ' _A mental patient? Just what I needed. Must be schizophrenic…talking to herself. She should be admitted to the psychiatric ward –'_

"How rude of me, allow me introduce myself. Koizumi Akako, a red magic practitioner," the girl, Akako said, "And you are?"

Then, Akako turned her head towards Conan – right towards him! – and looked at him questioningly. Or well, attempted to look. She was not facing downwards as if talking to a child, but straight ahead, assuming that he was around her age and height.

"Hmm…" Akako mused after a moment of silence, "It seems you're mute too. Must have been quite a strong dose to have lasted so long. But, I'm curious. A black magic practitioner like you, dabbling in red magic?"

Conan kept silent; it was no use speaking anyway. But he was confused, very confused. Did she know what had happened to him? _How_ did she know? Magic? Red magic and black magic? While he'd have previously scorned at the mention of _real_ magic, the day's events had not left him with any doubts that there were things here he'd no idea about.

"That aura of death that surrounds you…" Akako began after a moment, her brows scrunching in concentration, "it is familiar…Aha! Oh ho ho! You're him, aren't you? The one from the clock tower!"

"The what now?" Conan muttered, disgruntled.

"Yes, yes," Akako smirked arrogantly, "I am right, of course. You have the same pure energy that surrounds KID and the aggressiveness of a devil – you're his rival from the east, I am sure."

Conan gaped, _'Rival from the east? KID? Clock tower? What was she – wait, was she talking about that one thief I'd chased…?'_

"I never realised, that you're one of us." Akako continued merrily, her icy manner thawing slightly but still heedless of Conan's growing perplexity, "But, it should have been obvious. Your black magic and KID's blue magic do clash, after all. But, black and red magic get along quite well. How would you like to collaborate with me?"

Then, realising that he couldn't be heard, she apologised, "But never worry! Come along with me, dear wizard, and I'll take away its effects within moments!" With that, she cackled slightly, looking gleefully giddy at the thought of capturing KID with help from a fellow, compatible magic holder.

Conan paused at her offer. She could reverse the effects? She could provide an explanation for this? It was incredible! Only…she seemed to think he was 'Kudo Shinichi', or at least, certainly the teen present in the helicopter back then. Would he be able to convince her that it had been Edogawa Conan all along? He knew he could act well enough for it, but the question was – _Should_ he? Should he tell her the truth instead, asking for her help in returning back to his teenage self? Could she be trusted? Did she even have the power to do so?

Gah! Conan shook his head. What was he _thinking_? Why was he even considering this? He should go back home; her words seemed to imply that the effect was temporary. He could return and forget all this ever happened. He could go back to chasing the Black Organisation. That was safe. That was sound. That was sensible. Following a woman who proclaimed herself to be a witch – she did call him a wizard, after all – was crazy.

On the other hand, he had detected a hint of respect towards him when she spoke. Whatever this aura of black magic he seemed to possess, had certainly impressed the girl. And she did mention collaboration. If she wanted his help, she certainly wouldn't double cross him, would she? And help for what? – Capturing KID? No…perhaps, luring him in? If Kaitou Kid was also a magic user (And what an odd thought that was!) then he might have been able to resist those otherworldly charms of hers like Conan had.

…Why the hell was he even deducing this?

"Come with me, black wizard," Akako smiled at his general direction mysteriously as she got up and started walking down the street.

Conan bit his lip. What to do? This was quite a predicament.

He could go with her and involve himself with all the magical mumbo-jumbo he'd once considered foolish. Or, he could go back to Haibara, tell her about this and ask her to scientifically research the potion coating him – he still had the bits of potion clinging to the broken shards of glass. Either way, some conclusion was bound to appear.

The question was, should he take a leap of faith and go with Akako or trust his long-time partner and take this mystery to Haibara? Conan pondered on it carefully before choosing…

* * *

 **AN: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thanks Mystic! Great work!**

 **Readers, do let us know how you're liking it so far!**

 _Leave a review if you want to write the next chapter!_

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TheDarkKunoichi's replies to guest reviews -

Rockster: Thank you for the awesome review! About that ending, I have my own ideas about it, but I ultimately decided to let the next author figure it out. One, because I'm really past the word limit by that point, and two, because I'm curious if we'll have the same ending or if he/she'll think up a much better ending than mine. And I absolutely *love* writing Haibara, and since she's already been mentioned at the first chapter, I figured she'll show up sooner or later so why not now? xD

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 **All of you silent readers out there - I hope you are liking this story. If you are (and if not) do please let us know by reviewing! It does not take much time and highly encourages the writers!**

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	6. A Familiar Stranger

**AN: Hello! I'm so happy to have gained a few more participants! Please, please consider joining in!**

 **Those who wish to write the next chapter, do leave a review!**

 **Also, please leave a review at the end to let the author know that you liked their chapter!**

 **Enjoy~**

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AN: Hello everybody! Guess it's my turn! I really enjoyed writing this. I honestly couldn't help but bring in one of my favorite characters into the mix. Too bad for Akako though XD Enjoy! (LadyShadow26)

 **.**

"Dialogues"

 _'Thoughts'_

* * *

Chapter 5: A Familiar Stranger (By LadyShadow26)

* * *

Conan was seriously conflicted. It didn't help that whenever he glanced over at this Akako girl his head began to spin. A piece of him wanted to do anything she asked of him, but there was a strong voice in the back of his head which sounded a lot like his own that screamed 'danger'. Still he couldn't help but be curious about this whole 'magic' thing. Maybe there was some merit in following her after all.

Before he could follow through with this thought however, there was a rustle in the tree above the park bench where he and Akako had been sitting. A shadowy figure leaped down from the tree above landing in between Conan and Akako, who had paused to wait for Conan to follow her. Conan's eyes widened at the sudden arrival. This person had just appeared seemingly out of thin air. He could have sworn there was no one else around just a minute ago.

Glancing at Akako he could see she wore just as surprised an expression as he did. Not that anyone could _see_ his expression at the moment, but that was besides the point. What was even stranger was that she could supposedly feel his presence currently and yet had shown no sign of knowing that this other figure had been lurking nearby at all. Just who was this person?

"Yo." The person called out.

Conan couldn't help but shake the feeling he had heard that voice before. The figure was wearing a dark hoody and was turned away from Conan in a way that he couldn't distinguish any features. He assumed the figure was male, due to the voice and the general body structure, but there was no way to tell just now. The person had barely spoken a word and Shinichi had been wrong before (Prime example: Sera Masumi).

Conan turned back towards Akako, who was wearing a rather odd expression on her face at the moment. He noticed that her breathing had grown a bit heavier, and her shoulders had tensed at the sight of the new arrival. He knew those symptoms well enough. He had seen them in the criminals he had cornered before. Who or what could elicit such a bizarre response?

Conan shook his head; it was starting to become cloudy after staring at Akako for too long. He needed to focus on the situation at hand. He turned back to look at the figure who was slowly walking closer to Akako until 'he' was standing right in front of her. Conan felt an urge inside of him – to jump in and save her from her obvious discomfort – but he pushed it back, resisting and trying to gauge just what was going on here.

"Fancy meeting you here Akako." The newly arrived stranger spoke once more.

Every word he spoke seemed to bring back a pang of déjà vu in Conan's mind. He knew that voice...though he couldn't figure out from where. He continued to watch the exchange in silence keeping his hand on his stun gun wristwatch. Come to think of it why hadn't he thought to use that earlier on the big guy back at the mysterious voodoo shop? Anyway now was not the time for that. There were far more pressing matters at hand.

…

Akako stared at the person standing before her. Kuroba Kaito. Internally she was panicking a bit. Just how much of her conversation with the black wizard had he overheard? Leave it to him to have the luck of the gods on his side.

 _Damn_.

She should have sensed him sooner. That meddlesome magician. He just had to come and ruin her plans once more. Well, it mattered not. This meeting with the black wizard had been fate after all. This was simply a setback.

Akako laughed, "Oho ho ho. Don't be like that. You've been watching me for some time now, haven't you? You haven't fallen for me, have you?"

She glanced briefly past him, towards the aura of the black wizard who was seemingly still standing there, waiting for her. Well, of course he was. He was still under a spell, after all. Though she could tell the effects were starting to wane. It wouldn't be long now before... Akako's attention was pulled back away from the black wizard as Kuroba spoke up.

"Don't treat me like one of your love-struck stalkers Akako. You know very well this park is open to anyone. It's more likely you're the one stalking _me_ in this case. After all, you just so happened to choose the one bench under my favourite climbing tree, of all things." He crossed his arms, staring at Akako, a strange spark hiding in his indigo orbs.

Conan watched the exchange between the two of them, feeling thoroughly confused. Clearly he was missing something here. It would seem Akako was, in fact, well acquainted with this hooded figure. Where did she know him from, and why did he feel so familiar to him as well?

His thoughts were interrupted however, as he found himself shivering rapidly. What... what was this feeling? Conan clutched at his stomach as he felt the earlier side effects returning. Could it be the potion was beginning to wear off? If that was the case, he needed to get out of here. At this point, he couldn't risk either of them seeing his true face. Without so much as a second thought, he took off running in the opposite direction to the two. This whole situation was just too crazy.

"Hey wait!"

He could hear a voice calling for him from behind, but he no longer cared. He felt his stomach wretch as he stumbled forward on instinct alone. He could feel himself fading in and out of existence, the potions effects were clearly wearing thin. Until finally –

"Oof!"

And he bumped straight into three familiar figures…

* * *

AN: I'm not much for cliffhangers. Hope it was suspenseful enough for everyone any way :) I'll look forward to whomever's take on the next chapter. Until then! (LadyShadow26)

 **AN: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thanks LadyShadow! Great work!**

 **Readers, do let us know how you're liking it so far!**

 _Leave a review if you want to write the next chapter!_

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MysticCritic's replies to guest reviews -

To Rockster: Thank you for the review! Yep! This is my first written work (Mystic's. Critic doesn't write, she only reviews :/ ) Good to know you enjoyed my writing style! Makes an author very pleased~ *_*! If something does pop into my head, I'll be sure to go wild! Till then, *hunting for prompts* :D

Haha! Looking back at your first review, yeah, you did say that the whole thing screams Akako :P Yeah, about Haibara and Akako, the plot can progress either way. Both being somewhat parallels in the DC/MK fic, voiced by the same voice actor, I couldn't help but put both of them in! :D So, yeah, can't wait to see what the next author does - do they choose Haibara? Or Akako? Or someone else entirely? *sighs dreamily* This was a great collaboration, I dare say! Looking forward to what the others write! :)

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 **All of you silent readers out there - I hope you are liking this story. If you are (and if not) do please let us know by reviewing! It does not take much time and highly encourages the writers!**

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	7. Deeper Into The Pitfall

**AN: I'm so sorry for my continued absence! Hopefully, that will not be the case any longer!  
**

 **That said** **– Please, please consider joining in!**

 **Those who wish to write the next chapter, do leave a review!**

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"Dialogues"

 _'Thoughts'_

* * *

Chapter 6: Deeper Into The Pitfall (by The Symbol of Faith)

* * *

Kaito had been simply lazing about, lounging on a tree top when he heard some rather ominous words, spoken by a rather disagreeable individual.

"– Black and red magic get along quite well. How would you like to collaborate with me?"

Now, magic was a generally pleasant topic. But 'Red magic' on the other hand…

 _'She's gone crazy,'_ Kaito swallowed in disbelief, watching as Akako spoke to thin air, looking forwards but glancing to her side at times.

However, crazy or not, when she began to invite the wizard (Geez, 'wizard' now? Wasn't one hocus-pocus crazy witch lady enough?), Kaito knew he had to nip that in the bud. Best not make his night life any more difficult than it was. Also, if he got to meet the 'wizard' and lure him away from the red witch's team and onto his side at the same time, well, that was just a bonus.

What Kaito hadn't expected though, was the wizard running away. He might not have seen the black wizard, but Akako's shouts of 'Stop!' and a sudden shift in the air were enough proof to Kaito that he actually _was_ there – silent and invisible. Kaito shuddered.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kaito asked in surprise when Akako began running too, in a rather random direction, her face showing some confusion at the invisible person's departure. "Gah, let's just follow her! But, really…" _'What have I gotten myself into, now?'_

…

"Conan-kun!" Ayumi exclaimed in surprise, "We were just looking for you!"

"Yeah, ya won't guess who we just met!" Genta grinned at him, thumping his back when Conan tried to speak but nothing came out and he clutched at his throat.

"He said it was a surprise visit –" Mitsuhiko began, "Oops, I wasn't supposed to say that – Conan-kun? Are you alright?"

Conan shook his head as he stopped clawing at his throat and attempted a smile. They quirked up surprised eyebrows at his uncharacteristic silent greeting but Conan simply gestured for them to go on, hoping the crazy girl from before and the mysterious guy didn't try and follow him. Now that the invisibility part had worn off, he had no more interest in even wanting to know what was going on and getting into any situation he had no control of.

"– and so we agreed!" Ayumi was saying cheerfully, "I'll just call Ai-chan and tell her we won."

 _'Er, won at what?_ ' Conan blinked, hoping he'd not missed out too much.

"Eh, but Conan, if yer gonna play hide n' seek, why can't ya invite us?" Genta complained, "We only came ta know when we went to Hakase's house and Haibara and that the tantei-dan are having a hide n' seek contest! We found ya before he did!"

 _'Who?'_ Conan wanted to ask, but he prioritized getting them out of the area first. A few crazy psychos were enough for him for the day. Till his voice returned, it was best to stay far, far away.

"Let's go back to the Hakase's," Mitsuhiko spoke up then, "Conan-kun looks tired."

Conan nodded frantically at that suggestion, setting off immediately. His friends, confused and bewildered by his suspicious manner, followed him as they half-walked, half-ran back to the inventor's house.

…

"What the hell was that?" Kaito asked as soon as he caught up with the witch.

"Back at you, Kuroba-kun!" Her eyes were gleaming fiercely, no hint of allure in them, "Who are you interrupt a union between two compatible magic users?"

"Compati– _what?!_ " Kaito choked, "Don't make it sound so sordid! And magic users? For all I know, you were luring some poor guy into your trap with saccharine sweet words and –"

"Oh, please! Drop the act! I know you heard me correctly; that was a Black magic practitioner. Unseen by your dull eyes and in need of my assistance! You do _not_ have my thanks for interfering." She bit out sarcastically, "Now, excuse me, Kuroba-kun, feeble blue magic as yours can never hope to understand the enormity of today's encounter."

Kaito watched incredulously as she flounced – _flounced_ – away from him, down the street and slowly blinked out of existence. Kaito shook his head, trying to reaffirm what he saw, or more accurately, _didn't_ see; Koizumi had just become invisible. Invisible!

 _'Just like the person she was talking to_ ,' Kaito reflected, ' _Must have been some guy, honestly, for her to act like so hostile towards me. Damn, I don't know what to do about this –'_

"Not that seeing you look like a gormless idiot is anything out of the ordinary," a familiar voice spoke up behind him, "but is there any particular reason you're gaping at the air in front of you like an imbecile?"

Kaito turned, "Hakuba?!"

Oh, could this day get any worse?

…

"And so we decided to –"

Conan tuned out the kids with practised ease as they entered Agasa Hakase's house, wondering how to keep it a secret that he couldn't speak. Thankfully, so far, he'd had no need to use his vocal powers, content to let the Shounen Tantei-dan do all the talking, but Haibara would hardly accept silence from him without asking questions.

"Oi, Ku–Conan! There ya are, man!"

Hattori Heiji, in the flesh, thought the shrunken detective with growing horror.

 _'Oh yeah, Mitsuhiko said something about that, didn't he?_ ** _He_** _has come, a_ ** _surprise_** _visit…'_

There was no way he'd be able to keep his muteness a secret now.

"Come with me fer a sec," the teen said, grabbing his arm and pulling towards the kitchen for some privacy, sending a glance at the professor and Haibara to keep the kids busy, "Gotta tell ya something – came across this is in a case back in Osaka. Kazuha got mighty scared, all superstitious and stuff, ya know? But, thought I'd show this ta ya when I found this out –"

Heiji had taken out a small cloth pouch, emptying its contents into his hands, allowing Conan to take a look. A small chain of black beads bound by an old, nearly blackened cord sat in his hands. What was noteworthy was the small symbols carved on to them. It was of no language he recognised, but something about them seemed familiar somehow, like he'd seen them recently –

"That's not all," Heiji said, looking him straight in the eye, "Watch this, Kudo…"

He held up the beads to the light. What Conan saw, made his eyes pop out.

The symbols were _glowing_ …

* * *

 **AN: Thanks for reading!**

 **Readers, do let us know how you're liking it so far!**

 _Leave a review if you want to write the next chapter!_

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 **All of you silent readers out there - I hope you are liking this story. If you are (and if not) do please let us know by reviewing! It does not take much time and highly encourages the writers!**

 **Please help us in writing this linked-story by adding in your inputs, thoughts and lastly volunteering to write a chapter!**

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 **REVIEW!**


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